


A Safe Place

by Turtlebaby



Category: White Collar
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Gen, Kid Fic, Magical Artifacts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-20
Updated: 2013-11-20
Packaged: 2018-01-02 04:04:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1052313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turtlebaby/pseuds/Turtlebaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events in the Season 4 finale, Neal needs a safe place to hide. He turns to an artifact and finds himself in Elizabeth's care.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Little Runaway

**Author's Note:**

> This is not my usual... genre. Its probably the only "Peter loves Neal like a son" fic I will EVER EVER write. Ever.

Four quick steps led Neal to the door that his father had just exited. He punched out at the frame, and a strangled sob escaped as his chest heaved with the effort to contain the bile that was rising from his stomach. He brought both hands up and ran them over his face and through his hair. With a glint of panic in his eyes he looked anxiously around his small apartment, looking for something, anything, to keep his hands and mind busy long enough for this initial surge of adrenaline to pass. If Sara was still here, or Peter, or... hell, even Mozzie would do. Dammit. He just needed... someone. Or something.

"Wine..." He muttered softly to himself and headed over towards the bottles sitting on the countertop.

He was reaching for the corkscrew when something better caught his eye. A small bronze statue, a gift that had been given to him with the sentiments to "Never grow up."

He laughed to himself as he picked up the idol remembering how, ten years ago as he was busy pursuing treasure through Mexico; a beautiful girl with shockingly light eyes had called him a "Little boy heart with a grown up brain." as she pressed the small icon into his hands when she caught him attempting a quiet easy escape from her bedroom. She hadn't explained to him what the idol was or the magic it possessed, but it hadn't taken him long to track down a fence with the information he wanted.

Apparently the holder of this statue was granted an exclusive all-access pass into their childhood. Whatever that meant. He'd heard rumors of flashbacks and time travel, but it was currently unclear what the small inscription on the bottom of the statue actually did. All Neal knew was that if it worked he'd have found an escape. At least temporarily.

Holding the figure in one hand he dug his phone from his pocket and thumbed through his contacts before hitting the number he was searching for. When he reached voicemail without it even ringing. he left a message that he hoped was as cryptic as the little guy liked. "I'm about to do something incredibly stupid and if it works like it should, I might need a babysitter."

He was thinking back to that time in Peru with the last odd inscription that had rendered him helpless and vomiting in a two room shack with an 18th century painting lying in the dirt beside him. Yeah, it was a good idea to call for backup.

If only he knew how accurate his words actually were.

Mozzie stood outside the Empire State Building just long enough to catch a glimpse of Peter being led out in handcuffs before he slipped away, shedding the Green Peeps uniform and stuffing it into a trash can as he hurried towards home. When he finally had his door shut behind him he remembered his phone, shut off in his pocket, and turned it on with the intention of making sure that Neal had escaped. After all, it couldn't have been easy to get past all the agents and extra security in the building. But he was Neal... It was probably so easy it wasn't worth mentioning. Kind of like his own exit from the building, he thought proudly. No need to ever speak of how he got out either.

Within seconds of his phone powering up, his voicemail icon was blinking and he grimaced as Neal's message started with a sigh. "... might need a babysitter." He was back out the door before the message clicked off, moving his little legs as fast as he could in the direction of June's mansion.

When he arrived he was immediately waved in by a member of June's staff, Maggie or Margie, or some M name that didn't really matter at the moment, and headed directly up the stairs. The girl at the door stopped him with words as he all but ran up to Neal's room. "Mister? There's been some weird noises like... someone's been jumping on the bed. But he hasn't answered the door since he arrived home."

Mozzie raised his eyebrows at the young girl. "That's okay. I don't need an invitation. I think he's expecting me." He started up the stairs again only to stop in front of the door as a child's giggle reached his ears. "What the hell?"

He found no resistance when he tried the knob and slowly pushed open the door as he took in the scene in front of him. "Oh, fuck. Neal? What. Have. You. Done?"

The apartment was a mess. Books lying open strewn across the room, cushions from the couch dropped haphazardly across the floor, small valuable figures arranged like figures marching to war. The refrigerator was standing open two inches and there was a puddle of juice on the floor. Standing in the middle with all too familiar features was a boy no older than five. Startling blue eyes met Mozzie's as he fumbled for the only thing he could find to say. "Neal... why are you naked and covered in paint?"

The boy broke out a smaller version of his biggest smile. "Mossie! I'm makin' a pit'ure!" He pointed happily towards the easel where he had, indeed, been painting a rather stunning portrait of, who Mozzie could only assume, the Suit's dog, Satchmo. "I'm makin' it for Liz'beth." His tiny tongue poked out from between his lips as he studied his masterpiece.

Mozzie walked over and plopped himself heavily into a chair at the table and rested his head in his hands. It was going to be a long day.


	2. Little Charmer

After a moment Mozzie rose slowly to his feet and started gathering the books off the floor muttering softly to himself, "Oh buddy. I know today sucked but this... this isn't going to help anything." Straightening, with an armload of books, he turned again to the tiny horror that was currently running his fingers through his hair in a very adult manner. "Hey Kid?" He had a hard time calling this tot by his friend's name, "Why don't we get you cleaned up and..." With a smirk "maybe some clothes?"

Neal turned away from the dog portrait and looked down at himself. Bright blues, yellow, and red covered his arms and chest. "Can I have bubbles, Mossie?"

Setting the books on the table he started toward the bathroom. "Sure, kid. Bubbles it is." If any one grown man was going to have a collection of bubble baths under his sink, it was going to be Neal. The selection he found as he opened the little cupboard did not disappoint. He turned on the water in the tub before changing his mind and turning on the shower instead. "Let's rinse you off first."

Neal came up beside him and stuck a little hand under the water to check the temperature before grabbing the edge of the tub and clamoring over. As soon as the water hit his body it turned to a swirl of greens and purples at his feet. " 'S almost a rainbow!" he giggled. He stepped half out of the stream letting the water wash the colors away in turn, smiling to himself at the swirling kaleidoscope it created at the bottom of the shower.

As soon as the water ran clear Mozzie plugged the drain and sat Neal down on his rear. Letting the tub fill, he knelt beside it and added a cap of Jasmine scented bubble bath to the water. "Neal, I know what you indulge in in the privacy of your own bathroom is your own business... but jasmine? We might be revoking your mancard after this. Well, as soon as you're a man again."

Little Neal closed his eyes to sniff the fragrance out of the air. "'Ts Sara's." His small shoulders slumped and he sucked in his bottom lip, the grown up memory of another love gone too powerful for his small heart to contain. "She left yaknow."

Mozzie's heart pulled a little at his soft words and he raised a hesitant hand to Neal's damp head. "I'm sorry, little friend. Your grown up counterpart had no right to give you that burden." With a sigh he got to his feet. "I'll be right back. … Don't drown."

He left the room and after hesitating for a moment he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed the number of the one woman he knew didn't want to hear from him just then. But she was the only one left to help, hopefully even given the circumstances.

After three rings the phone was answered with a sniffle and small sob, "Mozzie. Tell me you can fix this. Tell me you have a way."

He closed his eyes. "Mrs. Suit... Elizabeth. I'm so sorry. We'll fix it. We will. You have my word."

"How?" There was doubt in her voice and a spark of anger. "Your plan got my husband ARRESTED. He's sitting in a cell right now, for doing the right thing, for helping his FRIENDS, and for what, Mozzie? I hope Neal got all the answers he needed. I hope that box was worth this."

"Elizabeth, you have every right to hang up and never speak to either one of us again. But I'm calling because right now, Neal needs us."

"What's happened?" There was immediate worry in her tone that let Mozzie know that for all the anger she had for the young man, she still cared. "Is he ok?"

"Yes. And that's all I feel comfortable saying. Because you're not going to believe me until you see it anyway." He smiled as Neal's singsong voice floated through the door to the tune of the ABC's. "Can you come to Neal's? And maybe make a stop along the way? Don't ask yet, but is there a children's clothing store on your way?"

An hour later Mozzie and Neal were engaged in riveting game of Candyland that he had borrowed from a cupboard downstairs. The stakes were high with a small pile of chocolates on the line. The boy was wrapped in the fluffiest towel Mozzie could find and his hair was drying into unruly curls that stuck up in every direction. The little boy was so intense in his concentration of the game that Mozzie didn't have a hard time forgetting that this was a game about Candy and not chess and that his best friend was now too small for his fedora. Yep, Neal was definitely still in there. Now he just had to figure out how to get him out again.

The knock at the door jolted both of them out of the game and Neal grinned, "Liz'beth?"

"I hope so mini-you. I'm getting my butt kicked." He stood and walked towards the door. "You wait here ok? I need to talk to her for a minute before she... well..." He waved a hand in Neal's direction. "You're a lot to take in at the moment."

"S'ok, Mossie. I'll wait." A little hand darted out from beneath the towel to pilfer a chocolate. "You can trusts me with your candies."

"I can tell." Mozzie shook his head and pulled open the door. "Mrs. Suit..." He waved her away from the door and stepped out slipping it shut silently behind him.

"Mozzie." She nodded at him before handing over a plastic bag with circus animals on front. "Can I come in?"

"Not yet. There are a few things I think I need to tell you before, well, Neal did something stupid." He blurted out. "I'm not sure what he was thinking and honestly, right now, he's not in a good state for me to ask him."

Elizabeth's eyes grew wide. "What happened Mozzie? You told me he was ok, what kind of state is he in?" She slipped past him and pushed the door open before he could stop her. The sight of Neal sitting sans towel on the floor surrounded by an army of artifacts, holding a much too large book of historical paintings upside down in his tiny hands, stopped her in her tracks.

"Well, Mrs. Suit... ingenuous comes to mind."

Elizabeth's hand quickly covered her mouth. A giggle slipped passed her fingers and her eyes crinkled with amusement. "Neal?" Her tone was oddly lacking in disbelief and she took a few steps further into the room before turning back to Mozzie. "This cements my belief that today is one big nightmare." She stifled another laugh. "Is there a logical explanation? Or are we going to go with the truth?"

"I'm glad you find this funny, Elizabeth. But this is a serious problem! I don't know why or how or... how long it's going to last or if I'm going to have to raise a tiny art thief with a tiny criminal record!" If he would have had hair he'd have been pulling it as he paced back and forth between the door and the wine rack trying to decide on which escape would be a better idea.

Neal watched with fascination as his friend worried a hole in the floor before selecting one of his soldiers off the rug beside him. "I think t'was this one." He held it out for Mozzie's inspection.

He reached for a tissue before taking the statue carefully and placing it on the table. "Clothes, Elizabeth, please tell me you brought some?"

"Oh! Yeah, in the bag. You should have told me it was Neal. I would have bought a suit." She smiled at the boy and pulled a pair of jeans and a tshirt out of the bag in Mozzie's hand. "I hope these are good enough." She also pulled out socks, shoes, and tiniest pair of underpants Mozzie had ever seen. "Come on buddy, I bet you're getting cold!"

She knelt down in front of Neal and he placed a steadying hand on her shoulder as he slipped one foot and then the other through the underwear and El hiked them up around his waist. She buttoned the jeans as Neal fought to get his arms out the correct holes of the shirt and when he was finally free she ran a hand through his tangles with a smile. "There! Isn't that better?"

He plopped onto his bottom and started forcing his tiny feet into the socks. "Can we go play Liz'Beth?" Can we go to the swings?" His eyes too big for his face as he smiled up at her. "Pwease?"

"What do you think Mozzie? Can we take him outside? He's not suddenly going to sprout back into a full sized man, is he? Because that might be a little hard to explain." She took Neal by the hand and squeezed gently.

"I don't know. Maybe we should just lock him up in here. Not letting people see him sounds like the smartest thing we could do."

Neal's eyes filled suddenly with a pool of tears that he sniffed back hard. "Are you 'shamed of me?" He sucked in that bottom lip again and hung his head.

Elizabeth fell immediately her knees and lifted his chin. "Oh baby, no. No no. We're just worried about you. We don't want anything bad to happen to you. Come on," She stood again and pulled him gently towards the door. "let's go to the park. We'll ride the carousel and hey! Do you want to take Satch? I bet he could use a walk!" She smiled when his eyes lit up at mention of the dog.

"I made you a pit'ure!" He scampered over to the easel and pulled the top sheet down with the ease of his much taller counterpart.

Elizabeth took the picture with a grin. "Kiddo, do you know how long I've been waiting for a Caffery original to call my very own? This is beautiful!" She meant every word, the picture was stunning with a childlike quality while still being well beyond the talents of your average preschooler.

Neal beamed and took her hand again. "Can we show it to P'ter?" As soon as the words left his mouth his smile faltered. "I fr'got. I'm sorry Liz'beth."

"I know buddy, so am I. But it's going to be ok. Some of the best people in the whole world are working right now to make sure he comes home again soon." She shot a meaningful glance in Mozzie's direction. "I trust them."

Mozzie swallowed the sudden lump in his throat but just nodded back at her.

"Now!" El smiled down at the sad little boy at her side. "I say we start with ice cream." She waited for the smile to reach his eyes before she swooped him up and settled him on her hip. "And then we can swing for as long as you want, buddy."

Mozzie watched them go before turning back to the small bronze statue beckoning for his attention. He used the tissue to pick it up again, he wasn't sure how it worked and he'd be damned if HIS inner child was coming out to play.

Flipping the small icon over in his hands, his eyes caught the inscription in the bottom. The translation coming easy to mind, "To give your mind an innocent place to play, until your heart is a safe place to stay." He sat the statue down with a small thunk and somehow knew he wasn't in any danger of it accidently re-forming him. He sighed and pulled his phone from his pocket. He knew a couple of guys , and one very odd woman, that might be able to tell him how to fix this.


	3. Old Wounds

After a short cab ride, during which Elizabeth spent most of the time wondering if this  _thing_ was going to last long enough to warrant enough car rides to need a booster seat, they were dropped at her front door and she followed the boy up the porch and unlocked the door. He ran inside as soon as she had it open, yelling for the dog. "Saatchmooo! We're goin' to the park and we get ice creams!"

Elizabeth bolted the door behind her and smiled at the way his voice carried through the house. Seconds later she heard the thunder of six feet as Neal came careening through the house with Satchmo close on his heals. "Whoa buddy!" She exclaimed as they both slid to a stop before her. "Save some of that energy for outside!"

"Can we go? Can we?!" Neal was bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Ice cream and swings and carousel! And last time I was too big for the jungle gym, but I bet now I can make it across, m' real strong, lookit!" He pushed his sleeve up to show off his scrawny bicep. Dropping his arm back to his side he shot her a grin. "Pwease?"

"Yep, we'll go. I just need to go change and grab a couple things. Do you want to stay down here or come upstairs with me?"

He turned and beat her to the staircase, "Hurry Liz'beth! I'm hungry!"

She followed him up with a shake of her head. When they reached the top she followed the hallway down to her bedroom and grabbed some clothes out of a drawer. "Ok kiddo, I'm going to go right down the hall to the bathroom to change. If you need anything while I'm gone, just yell as loud as you can, ok?"

Neal was crawling up on the bed, lifting his little knee as high as it would go before using the comforter as a rope and dragging his lower half up. He response was muffled by his face pressing into the soft surface when he replied. "mmkay livbeff."

She had barely made it to the bathroom when his voice rang out behind her. "Liz'BETH!"

She turned quickly and all but ran back to her room where he was sitting right where she had left him. "What is it?!"

He smiled shyly. "I just wanted to make sure you'd come back."

Her heart calmed considerably "Sweetheart, it doesn't matter where I am. If you call I will always come running. Ok?" She walked over and ran a hand over his hair. "But please don't scare me like that again. If I have a heart attack, you won't get any ice cream." She put on her best serious face before breaking into a smile. "I'll be right back."

This time she made it into the bathroom and changed as fast as she could. As she started back towards the bedroom she heard a soft sniffle. Frowning she entered the bedroom but the small boy was nowhere to be seen. "Neal? Sweetie?"

"'M in here." came a muffled reply from Peter's closet.

She pulled the closet door open revealing the small boy wearing Peter's shoes and suit jacket with tears building in his eyes. "Buddy, whatcha doing?"

Neal pulled the jacket around him a little tighter as a fought back a sob in a way that should be uncharacteristic for a child of his age. "I hadda dad one time. I useta help him get ready and he'd let me try on his hat and stuffs." His gaze suddenly shot up and her heart broke at the sadness she saw there. "And then he did a bad thing and didn't come home no more. And y'know what liz'beth? I missed him a lots. And he didn't have to go but he did and he juss left me!" He sucked in a deep shuddering breath and his whole body shook with the effort to contain his pain of the past that was, today, his pain of the present.

Without hesitation El sank to her knees and pulled his quivering form against her. "Oh baby." She rubbed his back and held him tight. There were a lot of words she could say but she knew from experience that sometimes the best sentiments weren't words at all.

"D'nt he want me?" He asked in a voice just over a whisper, "W'nt I good enough to stay for?"

She pulled him away from her, holding him just inches from her face. "Is that what you think, Neal? Baby, when you're a grown up and it hurts like this... is that what you think? That you're not good enough?"

His only answer was a short nod of his head.

"Oh Neal. I'm so sorry sweetheart. I'm sorry that your daddy left. I'm sorry he isn't the man he ought to be. I'm sorry he didn't know what he had in you. I'm sorry he didn't know what you're worth." She felt her own tears threaten as he shook with the effort to contain his emotions.

She held him tight until shudders turned to sniffles and his arms loosened their hold on her neck. She pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes. "Do you still feel up for ice cream?" She leaned in and kissed his forehead. "Or would you rather just stay here?"

He wiped the last of his tears off his cheek and put on his bravest little smile, slipping on the mask that he adult counterpart wore with much more gusto. "A'ready told Satchmo we were goin' to the park." As if on cue the dog poked his head in the door. "N' I think he'd be sad if he don't get no ice cream."

Elizabeth laughed as she lifted Neal out of Peter's shoes. "You know what? I bet you're right. Let's go."

She followed him as he took the steps one at a time, careful and slow, gripping the wall with one hand, the other straight out beside him to keep his balance. She was struck by the innocence of the little boy who had seen so much hurt.

At the bottom of the stairs she clipped the leash on Satchmo and they walked out the door hand in hand, headed for the park.

"Liz'beth?" He kicked a rock as he shuffled to a stop.

"Yeah kiddo?" She looked down at him with a soft smile.

"r'ya mad at me?" He paused and his forehead crinkled with his frown. "I mean... at big me. My grown up thinks you should be mad."

Elizabeth sighed. How did she explain to such a little boy, who saw things in black and white, that even anger could fall into a grey area? "I'm not mad, Neal. You, grown up you, didn't do anything wrong. You just followed your heart. I'm mostly sad because it didn't work out like it should have. And we both lost a little something today."

He started walking again, a little slower this time. He walked that way, with his eyes on his shoes, cleary deep in thought until the sidewalk turnedto grass and the sound of other children's laughter filled his ears. Then he looked up with a smile, "Can I have two scoops?"

"Tell you what? We'll race. If you beat me and Satchmo to the ice cream stand, you can have two. If I win you get one... AND you have to eat broccoli for supper." She winked. He dropped her hand and was racing away before she had even finished her sentence. "Hey! No fair!" She took off behind him but it was too late, he was surprisingly fast and by the time she'd untangled herself from the leash that Satchmo had tangled around her legs, he was already halfway to his goal.

She came up beside him with a smirk, not missing the mischievous glint in his eyes. With a laugh she picked him up so he could place his order by himself. He pointed to the strawberry and giggled. "An' two scoops pwease!"

The attendant looked at El and she just smiled. "You heard the man! And make them BIG scoops. You're only young once." She slid a sideways glance at the boy in her arms. He clearly didn't miss the joke as a peal of laughter escaped.

Fifteen minutes, ten sticky fingers, and one happy dog later; El was sitting on a bench watching Neal struggle his way across the jungle gym. When he had dropped safely on the other side and ran off to climb the stairs for the slide she pulled her phone out. It only rang once before it was answered. "Mozzie? Did you find anything?"

She heard the answer in his sigh. "No, Mrs. Suit. As far as I can tell, from everyone I've talked to... it's got to run it's course. Apparently it's not so much of a 'curse' as it is a 'gift'. Whatever that means. These things should come with warning labels."

"Run it's course? What does that even mean? It's not like a disease. For crying out loud, he morphed into a CHILD. I was unaware there was a specific 'course' for getting over that." she all but hissed back. "You know all that guilt he carries around as a grown man? It's crushing him as a child. And we're supposed to treat it like a case of the sniffles?"

"Well, that's the good news, Elizabeth. Eventually it WILL wear off. Probably." He sounded weary. "Do you want me to come get him? I know you've got other things on your plate right now."

"No. With everything on my mind... he's a good distraction." She smiled as Neal waved excitedly from the top of the slide. "I better go, Moz, I have to call our lawyer back. We're hoping maybe we can get some strings pulled and favors called in and make bail before morning. I'll call you later." She ended the call and immediately dialed another number.

"Hello. This is Elizabeth Burke." She paused to listen to the response on the other end and her shoulders sagged in relief and she felt a small smile tug on her lips. "I'm sure he will find that perfectly acceptable. Yes.. thank you. I really cannot thank you enough."

She hung up again and really laughed, for the first time all day, at the sight of Neal sitting on a swing, pumping his little legs for all he was worth but going nowhere. She walked over behind him. "Need some help, buddy?"

He turned his head over his shoulder and batted his eyelashes, "I th'oght I could do it all by myself. Guess maybe I can't. Will you help me Liz'beth?" Her breath caught in her throat as she read too much into that loaded question.

She caught herself and smiled as she grabbed the swing by the seat and raised him as high as her waist. "Anytime, bud. All you ever have to do is ask. Hang on!" She gave him a little push and he shrieked in delight as he flew through the air.

"Higher Liz'beth! I want to fly all the way to the clouds!" He leaned his head back, his knuckles white as he held on as tight as he could with all the trust in the world that she wouldn't let him fall.

The sun was setting and Satchmo was rolled over on his back sleeping when Neal finally let out the first yawn. She took him by the hand again and they started the walk home. Every step was a little slower than the last and by the time they were a block from home he could hardly keep his eyes open. She stopped and ran a hand through his hair and he looked up at her with sleepy eyes. " 's tired now."

Taking pity on him, she bent down and lifted him against her. He buried his face into her neck and wrapped his arms loosely around her neck. By the time she reached her front door, he was limp as a doll, fast asleep and she struggled to get the key in the lock. When she finally got the door open she walked in and placed the sleeping child on the couch where he snuggled in, murmuring to himself softly. She then unclipped the dog, who ran directly for food and water. "Good idea Satch. But what does a little boy eat, anyway?"

She walked into the kitchen and opened the cupboard with a grin. "Thanks Peter... for being disgustingly kid friendly." She pulled a bright blue box of mac & cheese off the shelf and went in search of a pan. Maybe not the healthiest food around, but quick and husband tested. As she stared at the water coming to a boil she took a moment to reflect on the day, letting her mind get lost in the slowly forming bubbles. Today had been unbelievably long, mentally, emotionally, and physically. She was ready for Peter to come home. One day and she missed the stability that he gave her.

"Tomorrow." She muttered to herself as she dumped the pasta into the water and stirred. "It's just one night, Elizabeth. Pull yourself together. We'll figure it out tomorrow."

Once the disturbingly orange macaroni was dished into bowls and sitting at the table she moved back into the living room to wake Neal. He woke with the weight of her hand on his chest and smiled sleepily. "Liz'beth, whatchu doin'?' he yawned.

She helped him to sit up, "Dinnertime my man. I hope you like mac & cheese."

He raised a tiny eyebrow at her. "Think so." He yawned again.

"And then we'll tuck you in for the night, ok buddy? You look absolutely beat. And then in the morning I have a really good surprise for you."

He wobbled a bit as he climbed to his feet but his head perked up at the word surprise. "More ice cream?" He flashed her a smile.

"Even better. I promise." She kissed the top of his head and lead him through to the dining room.

Dinner was uneventful and when Neal almost fell asleep in his bowl of noodles

Elizabeth decided to call it a night. Putting the bowls in the sink for the morning, she scooped the half asleep boy off the dining room chair and carried him up the stairs. She laid him on the bed in the guest room and covered him in an old quilt.

Leaving the hall light on she left the door ajar so if he woke, it wouldn't be total darkness.

She quietly made her way into her room and barely changed into pajamas before she dropped off into a deep, disturbed sleep.

When her door creaked open sometime long after midnight she came immediately awake and managed not to flinch as a tiny hand touched her cheek. "Liz'beth?"

She opened her eyes and covered his cold fingers with her own. "Hey baby. Can't sleep?" She scooted over in the bed and pulled him up and to her. His whole body was trembling. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

He sniffed. "Bad dream. Think I juss needed you to scare them away." He snuggled in close, his sleepy words warm on her skin.

She tightened her grip on him. "Did you want to tell me about it?" she asked gently.

He pulled his head away and his eyes seemed bright in the dark. "I think i's had them before. Feels the same." His hand fluttered against his chest. "But I don't really 'member. I's juss sad. Like maybe big me cried." He sighed softly. "But this is better, Liz'beth. Can big me have a mom like you, too? For when the sad hurts like this?"

El couldn't find the words to answer his innocent question. Her heart was breaking. Both for the little boy in her arms and for the broken adult he grew up to be. She stroked her hand through his hair. "Big you can call me anytime, baby. I love him the same as I love you."

"I luffs you too, liz'beth." And with that he rolled over and pressed his face back into her and slept the rest of the night as only a child in the arms of their family can.


	4. Even Mozzie

Elizabeth woke to a tangle of small limbs and a mess of dark hair tickling her nose. She sighed softly as she looked down at the boy, fast asleep at her side. "So. Not a dream then." She smoothed his hair off his forehead and eased herself away from his sleepy clutches.

She softly padded her way to the bathroom, hoping to get a shower before Neal woke up. She turned the water on as hot as she could stand up and stepped gingerly under the spray. Letting the water beat the stress of the last day out of her shoulders and back, she spent more time with her head on her arms against the wall then she did actually getting clean.

With a sigh she shut off the water and pulled back the curtain, only to yank it shut again quickly. "Neal! Honey... .what are you doing?" The child was sitting on the closed toilet seat with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands.

"Waitin'."

"Well, ok." Her hand shot out of the shower and grabbed the towel off the bar. "Can you wait outside for minute, buddy?"

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry Liz'beth." She heard the door snick shut behind him and peeked around the curtain before pulling it open again.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, she almost tripped over the boy, sitting cross legged in the hall. "Liz'beth?" He lifted his head to show off sad blue eyes. "Why'm I still little?"

She reached down and helped him to his feet. "Well, kiddo, I don't know." She squeezed his hand. "But we're gonna try and find that out today, ok? Mozzie is going to come stay with you for awhile." She smiled. "Because I have to go get your surprise that I promised you."

Neal grinned, "I fo'got about my suprise!" And just like that the worry vanished from his small features and he tugged away from her, clamoring down the stairs as fast as his legs would take him. "Come'n Liz'beth! I'm hungry again!"

Breakfast was easier than dinner had been with her limited kid friendly grocery's. Scrambled eggs and toast met no resistance when she scooped it onto Neal's plate. "Ok Neal. We're going to give you a bath," she looked at the clock "and give Satchmo a walk. By that time Mozzie'll be here." She shook her head as he gave up trying to scoop up his eggs with his fork and used his fingers to force the stubborn things into the utensil, holding them there until they made it to his mouth.

"M'kay" he mumbled around his mouthful before swallowing. "An' then my surprise?"

"Yep. And then your surprise." She sipped her coffee as he finished eating. When he laid the fork down beside his plate with a tiny burp she stifled a snort. "Excuse you, Mr. Polite. Are you all done?"

Neal had the good graces to blush. "s'cuse me!" He slid off the dining room chair with a small thud and came around to grab her hand. "Can I have bubbles? Mozzie gave me bubbles." He climbed the steps on all fours, his hands and feet thumping quickly.

Kneeling beside the tub, El made quick work of Neal's hair and skin before adding bubbles to the water and standing up, "I'll be right back, I'm going to go give Mozzie a call and make sure he remembers that he's coming, ok?"

"k" Neal smiled around his beard of bubbles. "Hurry though, before I get pruny." He held a foot out of the water for her inspection. "Dn't like being pruny."

El laughed and left the bathroom, leaving the door standing open. She went down the hall and grabbed her phone, thumbing her way through her contacts. "Hey Mozzie."

"Is he still fun sized?" was her greeting.

"Yep, and none too happy about it. Guess we're still going to need that babysitter."

"I'll be there." And with that he hung up.

El peeked her head into the bathroom and smiled at sight of Neal piling bubbles on top his head. She had a sudden unbidden image of adult sized Neal doing the same thing and the smaller version frowned at her as she snorted back a laugh. "W's so funny?"

"Just thought of something amusing." She stepped into the bathroom and helped him to his feet before turning on the shower and rinsing the bubbles from his small body. "Mozzie's on his way, though, so we better hurry!" She wrapped him in a towel and lifted him from the water.

Carrying him down the hall to the guest room, she set him on the bed and grabbed the plastic bag off the floor where she had dropped it yesterday. "If you don't get big soon, we're going to have to go shopping again!" She tousled his wet hair before digging out a clean pair of underwear and shorts. "Luckily, these were too cute for me to pass up yesterday." She pointed to the little lizard at the cuff.

Neal eyed her warily and raised his eyebrows. "Yes, liz'beth. Verdy t'ute." He slid off the bed and dropped the towel.

She knelt down beside him and helped him into the clothes. "Look how cute you are!" She beamed.

He turned to face the mirror. "Absolutely adorkable, Liz'beth." He pulled at the light blue cotton polo that was buttoned to high against his throat, eyeing the little lizard that adorned the left cuff of his shirt too.

She laughed "You look great, Neal. I promise. Just like a little boy should." She patted his shoulder. Let's go walk Satch before Mozzie gets here."

After adding socks and sneakers to Neal's outfit, El clipped the leash to Satchmo's collar and they headed out. Neal ran happily ahead of her, clearly enjoying the bright morning sunshine. She watched as he sought out the beauty in both rocks on the ground and birds in the sky equally. As they came back around the block towards the front door he actually stopped, and with his delicate little fingers, brought a rose to his nose from a neighbors bush and sniffed. Satchmo wasn't sharing in the boys rare patience and leaned eagerly on his leash towards home.

As they approached the House, El caught glimpse of the figure on the porch, managing to hide in the small patch of shadow in the corner. "Mozzie" She nodded to him as she opened the door.

"Mrs. Suit. .." He stopped abruptly when Neal wrapped himself around his leg.

"Mossie!"

The sight of the little boy, all elbows, knees, and familiar grin, managed to tug a smile from his lips. "Hello little Neal." He patted the child on the head. "Good boy. … Nice shorts."

Neal ducked out of his reach and smoothed his hair. "Imma boy, Moz. Notta dog." He ignored the jab at El's clothing choice.

El bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Speaking of dogs, Neal, will do you me a favor? Go get Satchmo's food bowl down for him?"

"Yup! C'mon Satchmo!" Neal took the dogs collar in his hand and walked him towards the kitchen.

Mozzie shook his head as he watched them walk away. "How's he doing?"

"He's fine.. I think. Why?"

"Well.. I didn't want to tell you this yesterday over the phone. But when you mentioned his grown up guilt getting the better of him I put two and two together and... I might know what has to happen in order to fix this." Mozzie took a breath and looked at his watch. "But we can talk more about it when we're all here. Speaking of which, you better go. There's someone waiting for you."

El looked intrigued but just nodded. "Neal!" She yelled. A few seconds later he came bolting in from the kitchen. "I'm going to go get your surprise now. You be GOOD for Mozzie, ok?" She tipped his chin back and he met her gaze. "I'll be right back. ok? And if you need me, I'm just a phone call away." She knelt down and pulled him into a hug.

His little hand patted her back as he returned the hug before pulling away and nodding with a brave face. "I'll be ok, Liz'beth." He turned and moved to the couch fiddling with the TV remote with both hands.

El straightened again and looked at Mozzie with a serious expression on her face. "Take care of him."

Mozzie nodded and then grimaced a little as the high pitched laughter of Spongebob erupted from the television. "Go." He ushered her to the door and locked it behind her before turning to his tiny charge. "Uh no no no, buddy, Do you have any idea the subliminal messages in that show? You're little mind is corrupted enough." He flipped off the TV and stood in front of it as Neal started to protest.

With an exasperated sigh, Neal dropped the remote beside him. "Whatchu wanna do then, Mossie?"

"Well, they have to have some board games or something... around here... somewhere. " Mozzie glanced around, for the first time in his life, uncomfortable with the idea of snooping.

"Upstairs, hall closet, middle shelf." Neal piped up. He scooted off the couch. "They have puzzles!" He was on the stairs before Mozzie realized he should go with him. He chuckled to himself as he watched his friend climb the stairs like a dog.

When they reached said closet in the upstairs hallway Neal pulled the door open and stretched his arm as far as he could. "Can't reach, Moz. liddle help here?" A beat. "Can't believe m' shorter than you."

Mozzie came up behind him and reached over his head with a chuckle. "Well, we have puzzles; garden scene. Space scene, castle... fairies... oh, here's one." He held up the box with a grin. Van Gogh's Starry Night adorned the front. "And it should challenging enough for your nimble little brain."

They made their way back downstairs and Neal dumped the puzzle over the dining room table before sorting the edge pieces back into the cover with great concentration, his little tongue poking out from between his lips. Within 10 minutes his deft little fingers had fit together all four corners and most of the bottom line.

"Hey, Neal?" Mozzie leaned forward on his arms.

The little boy answered without looking up. "Yeah, Moz?"

"You've had that little statue for almost 10 years... why now?"

The little boy looked up with weary eyes much too old for his face. "I member feeling like..." He stopped and frowned. "Like maybe something was broken that I din't know how to fix. And I had to run away. But I couldn't run away and... I dunno." He looked down at the puzzle again. rotating a piece over and over in his fingers.

Mozzie reached out and stilled the boy's fingers with his own. "It's ok Neal. I get it." He tugged the piece away and slipped it easily into the puzzle. "But you never have to be so alone. I'm not just your partner, you know. I'm your friend too. I'd even go so far as to say I'm your friend first."

Without a word, Neal slid off his chair and came around the table. He wiggled his arms in a classic move that could only mean  _pick me up_. Mozzie hesitated for only a second before hoisting him up onto his lap. He was instantly rewarded with arms wrapped around his neck.

The little boy hung on tight and Mozzie instinctively rubbed circles between his shoulders. "I'm sorry, buddy. I should have been there. I didn't know."


	5. Peter comes home

Elizabeth pulled the car to a stop in front of the building with a sigh, mentally preparing herself It wasn't everyday that she had to collect her husband from jail. Honestly, it wasn't something she thought she'd ever have to do.

She climbed from the car and walked toward the building with her head held high. Her husband was innocent, dammit, she really had nothing to be ashamed of. She pulled open the door and walked to the desk. "Excuse me?"

The young officer at the desk looked up and smiled. "Can I help you?"

"I hope so. I'm here for Peter Burke? He's supposed to be being released this morning." She brought her hands up to the desk and couldn't stop her fidget. "I was told that he'd be waiting."

"El." A voice behind her said her name and she whirled around. Peter stood there looking disheveled. His suit wrinkled and his hair standing in tufts.

"Oh, Peter." She was in his arms before he could brace himself and they both staggered a step back. She couldn't stop her muffled sobs as he buried his face in her neck and arms wrapped around her.

After a good minute he pulled away and kissed her softly. "Hi, hon."

She smiled and reached a hand up to try and flatten his hair. "Hey, hon." They walked over to the desk together to finish the paperwork before walking out of the doors, Peter squinting slightly at the bright light.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, El, but I was kind of expecting Neal to be here. I didn't think he'd miss the chance to see this." He raised his pant leg to show off his shiny new tracker. "And I don't even get a whole mile."

She leaned against him. "Neal's feeling a little... guilty." She slid into the car and waiting for Peter to slam the door before she continued. "Mozzie's right. There's not a good way to say this without you being able to see. … He did something stupid."

Peter leaned his head against the back of the seat. "Of course he did, El." He sighed. "Stupid is what he does best. No, scratch that. Incredibly smart, incredibly stupid - is what he does best. What was it.?"

El slid a glance in his direction as she pulled out into traffic. "He's five."

"Well, yeah. Sometimes he acts like a child. That doesn't give me much to go on." He chuckled.

"No. Peter. I mean he's  _five_. As in actually, physically, literally; a five year old boy." She blew out a breath. "Trust me, I know how that sounds. But it's true."

"He's... what? I mean, how? What?" Peter blinked and rubbed a hand over his face. "You're right. I love you, honey, but I think I need to see this. I'm clearly misunderstanding what you're saying."

"No, Peter, you're not. But unless Mozzie has made it all better in the last hour, you'll see." They drove in silence for a long moment before she broke the silence. "There was a statue. And an inscription. And apparently, the gift of some powerful magiks." She reached out and patted his hand. "You'll see." They were almost home now and Peter didn't answer her, he just sat with a confused look on his face for the rest of the drive.

She pulled up outside their house and got out of the car. Peter also got out and waited for her to come around the car before reaching out and taking her hand. She smiled at him as he trailed slightly behind her, his weariness showing in his gait. "You ready for this?" She climbed the porch and unlocked the door.

Stepping aside, she let Peter enter first, "Moz?" The room was dark and eerily quiet.

"Elizabeth." His voice floated from the corner. "Suit. Good to see you. I assume Elizabeth filled you in on our  _little_ problem?" He stood and walked over to them, nodding at the sleeping form on the couch. "We used our emotions. Wore us right out."

Peter squinted into the darkness of the room taking in the small lump wrapped up on his couch. "That's Neal?" His voice soft.

Mozzie waved them towards the kitchen. "Let's talk, shall we? Before he wakes up?"

El led them into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. Peter and Mozzie sat quietly at the table both lost in their own thoughts. El carried over cups of coffee before taking her seat. Taking a small sip she shrugged at the men. "So."

Peter echoed her word. "So..." He paused. "Does someone want to explain to me how a grown man turns into a child? And while doing so can you make it sound plausible?"

Mozzie was twirling his cup around on the table in a nervously. "Someone, a long time ago, gave him a statue. We weren't sure how it worked, and I never really expected him to try it. Suit, there are magicks in this world that can't really be explained. We've come across it before, but this is the most drastic form I've seen yet. He knows better than to mess around with it... but we have to understand. One bullet, one dead politician, " He stopped and took a deep breath before looking at Peter. "And our boy lost his father all over again. And then, Su.. Peter, he lost you too. And I think something snapped. We talked, little Neal and I, and he needed a way out without running. Because he couldn't leave you. But in that moment he didn't know how to help you."

"So he, what? Thought that this would HELP somehow?" Peter wasn't sure if he was just tired or if his anger was genuine. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Does it... wear off?"

Mozzie cleared his throat. "It's not going to wear off by itself. I've talked to a couple people. I think..." He trailed off.

"What Mozzie?" El's tone forced him to meet her gaze. "How do we get him back to normal?"

"I think..." he threw an awkward glance and the two before peering over his shoulder into the darkened living room. "I think his adult brain needs to trust his little kid heart." Mozzie blinked.

El tilted her head and frowned. "What?"

Peter, who knew Neal a little bit better rubbed his hand over his face and through his hair. "I know what you mean. But, Mozzie, what's his heart trying to tell him?"

"I don't know, Suit. I don't know."

Mozzie left a short time later, slipping out the front door quietly as to not wake the sleeping child on the couch.

Peter finally stood from the table, clearing the coffee cups away before heading upstairs for a shower. He stopped in the living room and walked over to the small lump on the couch, peering down into Neal's sleeping face. He adjusted the blanket around the boy and headed for the stairs.

Elizabeth trailed behind him like she was afraid to let him out of her sight. As he reached the bedroom and started undoing his shirt with slow fumbling fingers, she came up infront of him and made quick work of the remaining buttons. He shrugged out of the shirt and let it drop onto the bed before sitting down beside it.

El sat beside him and took his hand. "What  _happened_ , Peter?" She nudged his anklet with her foot. "I mean, I know what happened... sort of. But, are you ok?"

He swallowed hard. "I'm scared, El. I don't know how we're going to get me out of this one. Not unless we can find James." He clenched his hands into fists. "That son of a bitch. What we've done for him, what  _Neal_ has done for him. And he just walked away.  _Again_. El, I'm not even sure if I'm mad at him for what he did to me - or to Neal. He can't come back from this one, and there's a little boy sleeping on our couch to prove it."

El wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in tight. "I know, Hon. And you haven't even heard his little broken heart. It's enough to kill me. But we'll figure it out. We always do. Your team has some of the best agents I could ask for looking into this. And you know they are. Whether they're supposed to be or not, I know they're doing everything they can. I have faith in them, I have faith in YOU." She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.

He kissed her forehead and then stood up. "I need a shower and a change of clothes."

El stood up and smiled. "And then you can come meet, um, Neal."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Is he still him? I mean, does he know he's him?"

"Well, he's too short for stealing Rembrandts. But he knows who he was." She waved him out of the room. "Go. Shower." She ran a hand down his cheek. "Shave. You'll see." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him before turning and walking away.

Peter watched her leave with a smile. "I really am a damn lucky man."


	6. Boys, reunited

El headed back downstairs and moved quietly to the couch, sitting down by Neal's feet. She placed

a hand on his back "Hey? Neal?" She shook gently. "Honey? Time to wake up."

Two sleepy eyes peered out over the blanket. "Hi, Liz'beth." He yawned and brought a tiny fist up to rub at his eyes. "'S my suprise ready?"

El laughed. "Almost. Let's go get you some lunch first. Then we'll head upstairs and find your surprise." She pulled the blanket back and stood up. The half asleep boy rolled onto the floor before using the couch to pull himself up.

They walked into the kitchen and El made quick work of turkey sandwiches and fruit salad, leaving an extra for Peter on the counter. She carried two plates to the table and sat down across from Neal, popping a grape into her mouth.

In classic kid habit, Neal picked the strawberries from his fruit and ate them slowly before nibbling on his sandwich. El smiled behind her own sandwich as he carefully picked his crust off between bites.

With careful ears, she heard the shower shut off upstairs and waited a few more minutes before she cleared her throat. "Hey buddy?"

He looked at her but finished chewing and swallowed carefully before answering. "What?" He was pushing his food around with his fingers, nudging the broken pieces of bread into shapes on his plate.

"All done?"

"Yep" He flashed her a smile. "Suprise?"

"I think you've got a one track mind little guy." She stood up and he slid off his chair. "It's upstairs."

She held her hand out and he took it. Instead of taking the stairs as fast as he could, he trailed one step behind her, never letting go of her hand.

At the top of the stairs she spoke loudly. "Ok Neal, why don't we go wash your hands? And then we'll head to my room." She led him into the bathroom and lifted him around the waist so he could wash his hands. She set him down and handed him a towel. When his hands were dry she led him back out into the hall and towards the bedroom.

Reaching the door she knocked softly. "Come in." Peter's voice floated through the wood.

Neal's eyes grew huge. "P'ter?"

El smiled.  _This_ is what she had been so eager for. "Yup."

She pushed open the door and the little boy all but flung himself through. "P'ter!" He caught sight of him sitting on the edge of them bed.

Peter dropped his shoe just in time to catch the boy as he launched himself into his arms. "P'ter. P'ter.  _P'ter_!" He wrapped his arms tight around Peter's neck and clung there.

Peter looked at El with a glint of fear in his eye. He put an arm tentatively around Neal's small shoulders and squeezed gently. "Hey, buddy. You'd think you missed me or something." His gaze found Elizabeth's again and he mouthed "Help me."

El took pity on her husband and moved to sit beside them on the bed. She poked Neal on the shoulder and when he turned his head to look at her she saw the tears threatening to fall. "Do you like your surprise?"

Neal nodded hard against Peter's shoulder and squeezed his arms a little tighter. Turning his head back into Peter's neck he sighed heavily before pulling back and sliding to the floor to stand before the man. He took Peter's face in his little hands, meeting his eyes with a steely gaze, and whispered "I  _did_ missed you."

Peter blinked back the sudden emotion and raised his own hands to cover the boy's. "It's ok buddy, I'm here now." He drew Neal towards him and hugged him close, one hand on the back of his head. "And I'm not going anywhere."

Neal folded himself into Peter's embrace and Peter rubbed circles across his back. El couldn't help the sigh that escaped her. She got to her feet and kissed the top of both their heads. "My boys."

She put her hand on Neal's head. "C'mon kiddo. Peter's probably hungry. His lunch is waiting for him downstairs."

Neal pulled away with an uncharacteristically shy grin. He took Peter's hand and tugged him to his feet. "Strawberries n' grapes n' melon an' a  _delicious_ turkley sammich _._ " He wrinkled his nose a little.

He led them down the stairs and sat still at the table across from Peter with a serious expression on his innocent face, his hands folded under his chin.

El brought Peter's lunch in and set it in front of him with a smile. "Peter. I need to run to the store.

Neal is out of clothes and we're about out of food that he's going to eat. Are you two going to be ok here for awhile by yourself?"

Peter coughed on his bite of turkey, it suddenly feeling increasingly dry in his mouth. He swallowed with effort. "Maybe he wants to go with you."

El looked over at the little boy who was still studying Peter with a furrow to his brow. "Neal, do you want to come look at clothes with me? Or do you want to stay home with Peter?"

The kid didn't hesitate and answered with a blink. "P'ter."

El grinned. "That settles it! He's all your's honey." She patted Peter's shoulder as he turned his eyes toward her, panic lacing them. "You'll be fine. It's just a couple of hours."

Neal grinned. Peter swallowed hard. El winked as she grabbed her keys off the side table and headed out the door.

Neal scooted off his chair and wandered into the living room where he took a seat on the floor, magically producing a small truck that he drove aimlessly along an invisible highway in the carpet.

Peter followed slowly, sitting across from him on the couch. "So. Neal."

The child looked up at him with a flash of a smile. "Yes, P'ter?"

"Um." Peter shrugged and scratched at his cheek before leaning back into the couch. "I don't know." He laughed a little at himself. God, he was so bad with children. Especially  _this_ child.

Neal sat up on his knees and drove his little truck across the furniture and over Peter's knee before moving the truck down his leg and over his shoe. He crawled along the floor for a little longer, making engine noises as he went, before turning back to Peter. "D'ya wanna play?" He thrust the truck at him.

Peter reached out and took the small toy, turning it over in his hands. "Play?" Like the concept was foreign to him. "You've only got the one truck, buddy. You go ahead." He tried to hand the toy back.

"S'more fun if you play." Neal shrugged his small shoulders.

Peter sighed and set the truck down on the coffee table. "Well, why don't we find something we can play together?"

Clearly those were the right words, Neal looked up at him and beamed. "Can we go to the park?"

With a sheepish smile Peter pulled up his pant leg to show off his anklet. "House arrest. But I'm allowed the backyard."

Neal covered his smile with his hands. A giggle slipped through. "I had one of those. Itchy."

"Thanks. I'm trying not to think about it." he slid a finger under the anklet to rub at the annoyed skin. "Do you want to go outside?"

Neal nodded and stood up, reaching for Peter's hand and tugging him to his feet.

They stepped out onto the back porch and Neal stopped and looked up at Peter. "Now what?"

Peter looked down at him a little bewildered. "You're the kid, you tell me."

Neal scrunched up his face and sat down on the step with a thud. "Dunno."

"Guess maybe you should have gone with El, huh? I bet picking out tiny ties and loafers sounds like a lot of fun now." Peter sat down beside him.

Neal leaned his little head against Peter's arm. "No, I'd rather be here, with you." He stood up suddenly with a glint to his eye. Leaning over he tapped Peter's shoulder before taking off as fast as his legs would go. "You're It!" He yelled over his shoulder.

It took Peter just long enough for the boy to disappear around the back of the tree before he caught on. This was a game he knew. Albeit, on a slightly larger scale. "You know I'm better at this game!"

He was on his feet and on the hunt quickly, stalking slowly towards the tree he'd watched Neal disappear behind. "Come out come out..." He picked up speed as he turned around the side of the tree and frowned. No Neal. He looked both ways and put his hands on his hips.

A small giggle alerted him to the boys location, somewhere to his left, among Elizabeth's garden.

"Neal." He warned, "If you're trampling those flowers, El's gonna have both our heads." Another giggle.

Following the sound, Peter carefully made his way between tangles of bushes, some almost half his height. "Neeaaal, " he called. "I know you're in here."

And a childish squeal as the boy caught sight of him and took off in the opposite direction. Peter backtracked through the rows, and sprinted after the boy, catching him just short of the front porch.

"Gotcha." He lifted him to waist level and tickled his fingers against his ribs, eliciting a peal of laughter from Neal.

"P'teeer!" he gasped as his feet found the ground again. "N'fair, your legs are longer than mine!"

"Ah, kiddo, but yours are younger. I think it's fair." Peter ruffled his hair. "And guess what?"

"What?" Neal eyed him suspiciously.

"You're it!" Peter tapped his shoulder and spun around away from him with a laugh. He ran in circles around the yard for a couple minutes before slowing his pace and letting himself be cornered. He raised his hands in surrender as Neal approached him. Plopping down in the grass, he let the boy touch his shoulder before sitting down beside him with an audible sigh.

Neal leaned back into the grass and put his arms under his head and after a moment, Peter followed suit. The little boy scooted over so their elbows were nearly touching and glanced over at

Peter. "M'sorry." the words tumbled out in a mumble.

Peter turned his head and brought his arm down so he could see Neal's face. "For what?"

"Lots of things." Neal let his head rest in the grass and laced his fingers together across his stomach. "If I wad'nt so bad, nothin' bad woulda happen'd to you."

Peter propped himself up on his elbow and looked down into the boys face. "Hey. Hey, buddy, no. I told you before. I'd do it all again."

Neal opened his eyes and squinted against the halo of light surrounding Peter. "For justice."

Peter frowned. That might have been the appropriate answer for an adult. "No, buddy, for family. Nothing that has happened is so bad that I'd exchange it for you."

They both were quiet as Neal tried to find the lie in Peter's words. Not finding any he sat up abruptly and launched himself at Peter, knocking him flat on his back again. He laid his head against Peter's chest.

Peter brought both arms up protectively around Neal's shoulders and held the small boy. They laid there for awhile without saying anything. Finally Peter shifted. "Hey bud? How about we get off the ground and go inside? There's a rock jabbing me in the rear."

Neal giggled and rolled away. He got to his feet and started brushing off his clothes. Peter climbed slowly to his feet and did the same. Once they were both mostly free of grass pieces, they headed inside.

Peter headed into the living room with Neal trailing behind him. He yawned against his small hand.

"Didn't you just wake up from a nap? I'm pretty sure kids are supposed to have unlimited stamina."

"S'hard work being little, P'ter." He stifled another yawn.

Peter laughed as Neal slumped down on the couch. He sat down beside him and Neal leaned into him happily. "Gonna tell me a story?"

"Well," Peter shrugged. "Why not." He reached behind him and pulled the blanket from the back of the couch, covering Neal. Then he moved his arm so he kid was under his shoulder and tucked comfortably beside him. "Once upon a time, there was a prince who thought he could have anything he wanted..."

Neal giggled again. "Is this gonna be about me?"

Peter ran his hand over Neal's head. "Shhh, you'll have to listen and find out."

Neal quieted down with a smile on his face and his eyes drift shut letting the low vibrations of Peter's voice lull him to sleep.

And when Elizabeth returned home, that's exactly how she found them. Fast asleep, snuggled together on the couch. She smiled and found another blanket to cover Peter, before moving quietly to the kitchen to put away the groceries.


	7. All grown up, with somewhere to go

Peter awoke with a jolt, like his body's reaction to slipping. It wasn't enough to wake the child beside him and Peter groaned softly as he maneuvered away from him. He stood and padded his way to the kitchen where he could hear El on the phone. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing a kiss to her temple.

She hung up the phone and turned in his arms, "Morning, sleeping beauty." She ran a hand lightly over his hair where it was sticking up. "Did you have fun?"

Peter's answer surprised him. "I did." He placed a kiss on her nose before backing away. "We... played." He shook his head lightly with an amused smile flitting across his face.

El laughed as she handed him a cup of coffee and moved passed him to take a seat at the table.

"Well yes, honey, that is what one tends to do with children."

Peter sat down across from her. "Yeah, but this is Neal." He frowned. "Why isn't this as weird as it should be?"

El shrugged. "It's a little late to be questioning Mozzie's magik theories now, isn't it?" Taking a small sip of her coffee, she studied him over the rim of her cup. "But whatever it is, I'm glad he found his way here. He's so... sad."

"I know." Peter pulled his foot out from beneath the table. "He thinks this is his fault." He nodded toward the anklet.

El sighed. "Well, it kind of is, isn't it? If he'd have just left you out of it.."

"No." Peter said firmly. "This was a choice I made. I walked into this of my own free will." He reached across the table and took her hand. "I knew the risks going in, honey, and I'd go in again."

El pulled her hand away and closed her eyes. "I know, Peter. And it isn't fair to blame him. But I have to blame someone. Good things like this shouldn't just happen to good people."

"You know who you can blame? That bastard that calls himself Neal's father." His eyes blazed with anger and he got to his feet. "I should have known. I let him in my home. I let him... I let Neal... dammit! He was conning us ALL Elizabeth. Tricking us into trusting him so he could erase the truth about what he did. Would he have come back if not for that evidence box? His son... his damned SON, has not meant anything to him for all these years. And then he just waltzes back in here with Neal's eyes and Neal's smile and Neal's damn  _hair_ and, and, …" He ran out of words and sank back into his chair.

"And replaced you?" El's voice was little more than a whisper.

"Yeah." Peter leaned forward in his chair resting his elbows on his knees, all the fight out of him. "I'm not his father, El. I can't take that place."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by a soft sniffle. As one they both looked over and caught sight of Neal, a little truck in each hand, turn and flee from the kitchen doorway.

"Oh!" Elizabeth stood to go after him.

Peter beat her around the table. "Let me?"

El nodded, her heart feeling a void at this image of Peter. At the father he could have been.

Peter followed the sound of angry feet pounding up the stairs and took them slowly. At the top, he

stopped and ran his hand through his hair. Taking a deep breath he held it and listened. The sound of those little trucks banging together led him towards the guest room. When he opened the door, he didn't see Neal anywhere and almost turned to leave but a small voice stopped him. "Go 'way P'ter."

"Neal?" Peter crouched and peered under the bed. "What're you doing?"

The boy was flat on his belly under the bed, his face just inches from Peter's, his eyes bright with unshed tears. "Hiding."

Peter dropped to his knees and shuffled back before lying on his stomach and resting his chin on his arms. "Well, yeah, buddy. But what're you hiding  _from_?"

Neal shoved the trucks aside and mirrored Peter's position, chin on his hands. He blinked quickly a few times before answering. "Everything."

Peter frowned slightly, "I.. don't know how to fix everything."

Neal sighed, a sound much too tired for his small persona. "Me either." He turned his face away from Peter, pressing his cheek into his arms. "S'why I'm hiding."

"Oh." Peter slid one arm under the bed, just enough to touch the young boys elbow. He left his hand there, a small gesture of comfort; he hoped, and let the silence drag on. Hoping Neal would break it and tell him how to make it better. Instead he just sniffed softly again. Peter's touch turned into a squeeze.

Neal pulled away a little, sliding further under the bed. "Go 'way."

Peter withdrew his hand. "I'm not leaving you alone, crying under a bed, Neal."

"I'm not crying." The boy turned again to face Peter, eyes red but cheeks dry.

"Please come out, Neal. Let me help." He reached out again.

"No!" Neal shrunk back further, his feet against the wall behind him now, out of Peter's reach.

"You're not my dad!" He spit out the words with all the venom he could muster.

Peter pulled his arm back, hurt flashing across his face. "I... I know, Neal. I, I just, I." He brain stuttered, trying to compose itself over the ache in his chest. "I don't have to be the man that made you to be the man that loves you." He cursed softly under his breath and disappeared from Neal's view as he pushed himself back to his knees.

He got to his feet and all but fled the bedroom, he met Elizabeth just outside the door. "Peter." Her voice stopped him before he ran right into her. "What's wrong?"

He brushed past her with a sigh and smile he didn't feel. "I'm not his dad. And I don't know how to fix everything."

She grabbed his arm and pulled him in. "He's just a kid, Peter."

Peter sucked air through his teeth in a hiss. "He's Neal. He's five. He's a kid. But he is, without a doubt, unmistakably Neal." He stepped out of her grasp and headed toward their bedroom.

She let him go and sighed as the bedroom door closed behind him. With determination she entered the guest room and found Neal sitting cross legged on the floor beside the bed, fiddling with his plastered a fake smile on her face and said, in a voice far happier than she felt,

"C'mon kid. Let's give Peter some space, ok? You want to take Satch to the park before it gets dark?"

Neal nodded without looking at her and got to his feet. She stopped him as he tried to walk past her and knelt down to pull him into a hug. She pressed a kiss against his forehead and stood again, following him down the stairs and helped him get his shoes on. Before too long they were out the door and headed to the park.

Peter laid down on his side of the bed and sighed. He heard the front door shut behind them as they left and rolled onto his side, the weariness of the last 24 hours catching up to him. He closed his eyes.

And came awake abruptly as the front door slammed shut and Neal's giggle drifted up the stairs. A look at the clock told him he'd been sound asleep for nearly 3 hours. Stifling a yawn he sat up and put his feet on the floor. Whatever had been bothering Neal earlier had clearly been taken care of by his wife. He could hear the two of them chatting away, the murmurs occasionally broken by his giggle or her throaty laugh.

He stopped in the bathroom to splash some water on his face and then headed downstairs. The sounds of his wife making supper in the kitchen soothed him more than three hours of sleep ever could. He stopped in the doorway and watched them. Neal, standing on a chair beside her was stirring something and grinning. El was poised with her finger over a cookbook. They both glanced over at him as he cleared his throat.

"Peter!" She smiled. "Did we wake you?"

"No, I think I've been sleeping all day. All this inactivity is making me lazy." He smiled ruefully at her. "What're you guys cooking?"

She poked Neal in the ribs. He'd grown quiet since Peter had come in. Now he was stirring the sauce slowly, his eyes downcast, completely captivated by the growing bubbles. "'p'sketties" he answered in response to her prod.

"Spaghetti?" Peter smiled. "It smells delicious."

"With sauce from scratch, Neals been doing a great job!" she ran a hand down his back.

"Juss stirrin'" Neal countered. He dropped down and climbed off the chair. He wouldn't look up as he walked past Peter and into the living room. Peter tossed his hands into the air and El just shrugged her shoulders.

"Go." She mouthed and waved her hands in the direction that Neal had disappeared to. Peter rolled his eyes and El smiled. She turned back to her task and Peter headed to the living room.

He found him in his usual spot, sitting in front of the couch, making twin trails through the carpet, a truck in each hand. Peter sat on the couch beside him. "Hey! I see you got another truck."

Neal didn't look up, "Liz'beth bringed it for me."

"That was really nice of her, huh?" He slid off the couch so he was sitting next to Neal. "Does that mean I get to play now too?"

"Don't hafta." He risked a glance up at Peter.

"Well. What if I want too?" He caught the boy's eye and winked.

"Thought you was mad." He ducked his head again.

"Not at you, buddy. I was never mad at you." Peter set a hand on his shoulder. "Can I be the blue truck?"

Neal looked up again with a shy smile. "I getta be blue. You can have the red one." He held out the toy to Peter who took it and immediately made engine noises and drove it over Neal's knee. Neal giggled and crashed his truck into Peter's. "Beep beep!"

Elizabeth smiled when she heard Neal's laughter followed by a kid-play voice out of her husband that she'd, in all the years she'd loved him, never heard before. Peter's exclamation of "Follow me! I'll take you to the treasure!" was followed by engine sounds and her husband's deep laugh. She wanted to go spy on them but didn't want to interrupt the exploration into their creativity. Satchmo walked in and gave her a look that clearly said "He's finally lost his mind." before lying down with a sigh.

El set the table and dished up Neal's plate, cutting the noodles into kid friendly pieces and setting it aside to cool. " _Dinner can wait."_  She thought as she leaned against the counter and listened to her boys play.

Five minutes later and curiosity got the better of her when it suddenly got quiet. She headed for the living room and there was her husband, cross legged on the floor raptly listening to Neal explain why purple wasn't always purple, but sometimes it was eggplant and sometimes it was lavender. And sometimes if you were really lucky it was indigo, which wasn't really purple because it was too blue but it wasn't blue either and isn't it pretty?

Peter heard her footsteps and turned wide eyes in her direction. "I told him we were gonna have one big purple car if he didn't stop crashing them together." Was his explanation. "But apparently purple is a very precarious balance of blue and red. And these two cars would  _not_ make a lovely shade."

Neal grinned at Elizabeth and she couldn't help her laugh. "Ok guys. Dinnertime."

After dinner came ice cream and a bath, followed by a pair of pajamas with shorts and a dinosaur on the shirt and Neal grinned down at his toes as El slipped it over his head. "Ya like reptiles, Liz'beth?"

"Are you mocking my clothing choices again, little man?" She slid a finger down his nose.

He giggled. "Course not." He crawled up into the guest bed and laid down. "M' I gonna be big tomorrow?"

"I dunno, buddy, maybe." El tucked the blanket around him and pressed a kiss to his forehead. She turned and headed for the door.

"Liz'beth?" Neal called to her.

She turned in the doorway and smiled. "Yeah, Neal?"

"s' P'ter gonna come say goodnight?"

"Yep. He'll be right in." She turned again.

"Liz'beth?"

"Yeah, baby?" She repressed a sigh and turned back again.

"Incase I'm big tomorrow, thank you." He fisted the blanket up under his chin. "For takin' care of me when I was little."

El smiled at him. "You're very welcome Neal. Anytime. No matter how old you are."

She left the doorway and made her way to the bathroom where Peter was just finishing brushing his teeth. She poked her head in the door. "Don't forget to say goodnight to Neal."

Peter rinsed his mouth. "I will. I mean, I won't. Figured nows a good a time as any to talk to him."

El moved into the room and rested her head on his shoulder, her arm around his waist. She met his eyes in the mirror and smiled. "You're a good man, Peter Burke."

"And a lucky one, too." He kissed her forehead before moving them back out of the bathroom and into the hall. "Go to bed. I'll be in."

She squeezed his arm as she pulled away. "Take your time."

Peter just nodded and turned toward the guest room. He stopped at the doorway of the darkened room. "Neal? You still awake?"

"Yep. Had lotsa naps tuhday." Neal's voice floated back.

Peter laughed. "Me too. Do you mind if maybe I hang out in here with you for awhile until we're tired?"

He heard the rustle of blankets. "Sure, P'ter."

Peter stepped all the way in and walked towards the bed, groping in the dark to find the lamp switch. Finally his fingers found their mark and a pale light washed over the bed, illuminating Neal, covers pulled to his chin. "Gonna scootch over, buddy? Or do I have to sit on the floor?"

Neal smiled sleepily, his eyes betraying how close to sleep he actually was. Holding onto his pillow, he slid over to give Peter enough room to lie down. Peter sat on top the blankets and pulled his legs up until he was reclining against the headboard. He clasped his hands over his ribs and sighed. Neal echoed his sigh from beside him and Peter slid a glance in his direction, catching the boy as he maneuvered himself into a smaller version of Peter's position, the blankets tucked under his armpits.

He crossed his legs at the ankle and hid a grin as the blankets lifted and settled as Neal copied his movements. When he looked over again, Neal was studying him intently. "What?"

"M'glad you're here, P'ter."

"I'm glad to be here, kid. Beats the he-ck out of jail."

Neal's only answer was silence.

"Oh." Peter frowned. "Oh Neal, that's not what I meant. I just... you know it's not your fault. Right? You didn't know."

"I shoulda." Neal voice was just a whisper. "I shoulda known though. I shouldn'ta trusted him. But I..." a hitch in his voice. "I wanted my dad."

"I know, buddy. I know you do. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Peter brought his hand out and grasped both of Neal's. "But it's ok, even though it turned out like this, you trusted your heart, kid, instead of your head and..."

Neal interrupted. "And look what happened." his tone to mature for his voice.

"But Neal, it doesn't always work like that. Your heart doesn't always lie. It doesn't. You're a good person and your heart reflects that. It's ok sometimes to be unguarded. He's your father, Neal. It was the right thing to trust him."

Neal sucked in a breath and moved closer, tucking himself under Peter's arm. "I'm not good, P'ter. Sometimes..."

"No, Neal. You  _are_ good. Don't ever even think that you aren't. Even when your, uh, activities were less than legal, Neal, they weren't bad. They were wrong, yes. But they weren't unforgivable. And now, you've... you've done so much good." He squeezed a little tighter.

He glanced down at the boy against his side. Neal was looking down, picking at invisible lint on Peter's chest, his cheeks wet with tears. "Why'd he leave, P'ter? The first time? What was more important than me?" He had buried his face in Peter now, his words muffled.

"Because he's a damned fool, Neal. He didn't know what he was losing. He took you for granted and he hurt you. And now..." Peter slid down the headboard and moved so they were face to face and he pulled the child as close as he could with the blankets between them. "God, Neal. And now he did it again. And it's the same, isn't it?"

He felt Neal's nod against him and held the boy tight, stroking a hand down his spine. "You know it's his fault, not yours. He should have stayed with you then. He should have stayed today. If you were my son..." Peter swallowed hard, the words harder than he expected. "If you were my son, I'd never have left. No matter the cost, Neal, you deserve that. Something that simple shouldn't be that hard to give. Love isn't that hard. Not when you make it so easy."

He felt Neal shudder as the first sob escaped into his neck, the hurt of abandonment finally reaching the surface. "I try, P'ter. I, I want you to stay, I want to be good enough for you. I don't want you to give up on me, too."

"Oh, buddy. You've always been good enough. You, just you, you're always enough. Even if I don't like something that you're doing. Even when I'm mad or scared or hurt. Even then I am so damn proud of you."

Neal's fingers clutched at Peter as his small body shook with his tears. There was nothing else Peter could find to say, nothing else that really mattered. He just held him as his sobs turned to hiccups and sniffles. He ran his hand over his hair and down his back in a calm repetitive gesture, murmuring words neither one remembered.

Neal took a long shuddering breath and pulled his face back to meet Peter's gaze, his eyes full of tears yet to shed, his cheeks blotching and wet. "Sometimes, I wished you were my dad. I really do. But dad's leave. And I don't want you to leave."

"Not all dad's leave, Neal. Especially the ones there by choice. And I'm not going anywhere, ever. No matter what."

Neal nodded and put his head back against Peter, his little boy heart finding comfort where his grown up brain wouldn't let him: In the arms of someone with the ability to leave, but chose, unfailingly, to stay.

Peter was suddenly hit with a feeling that reminded him of déjà vu, but not quite and far more powerful. He closed his eyes against the sensation, just for an instant, just for a blink. And when he opened them, the Neal pressed against his chest, whose tears still wetted his shirt, wasn't the little boy that he had been a moment ago. That didn't stop him from pulling him a little closer and running a hand through his hair. "Welcome back, Neal."

Neal's low chuckle was surprisingly similar to its higher pitched counterpart. He lifted his head and met Peter's eyes. "Thank you." His voice was raspy with tears and his lashes were still wet. "For just.. being here."

"Anytime, Neal. All you ever have to do is tell me. Trust me. Ask me."

Neal nodded, his head against Peter's chest again, the vibrations from his voice oddly soothing. "I know that, now." It was then that he noticed Peter's hand pressed against his back. "I'm naked again. Aren't I?"

"As the day you were born."

"Any chance El has little lizard pants in a grown up size?"

Peter laughed and Neal rolled away, grateful for the blankets that still separated that them. "I'll go

find you something." He sat upright and put his feet on the floor.

As the bedroom door creaked open, El sat up and flipped on bedside lamp. Peter was rustling through one of his drawers. "How'd it go?"

Peter held up and pair of sweatpants victoriously. "Our baby's not so little anymore. He needs some big boy pants."

El sighed, part relief, part sadness - she was going to miss having a child around. "Oh thank goodness. What happened?" Like she coudln't guess.

"I'm not sure... honestly. It was like a split second rollercoaster and …" He stopped. "That's not what you meant."

El cocked an eyebrow. "No, but it'll do for now." She waved him toward the door. "Go, let him keep some dignity."

Neal was perched on the edge of the bed, covered in a sheet, when Peter reentered. He handed the sweats to him and turned his back. He stayed that way until he felt Neal's hand on his shoulder. He turned and met wet blue eyes with his own. Neal didn't say a word, just pulled him into a fierce embrace.

Peter's arms found their way around Neal and he smiled into his shoulder. "I love you, kid."

"Even when I don't deserve it." Neal's tone sounded incredulous.

"Especially then. Nothing you do is ever going to get rid of me." Mimicking the movement he'd used with Neal as a child, Peter ran his hand from his head down his shoulders.

"God, Peter." Neal pulled away and met the other man's eyes. "I love you, too."


End file.
